Zeva Aero Zero (prototype)

Zero (prototype)
Zeva Aero
Tacoma, Washington, USA
www.zevaaero.com

Based in Tacoma, Washington (USA), Zeva began creating an all electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) passenger aircraft concept design in 2017 for advanced air mobility (AAM). The company first designed and created a sub-scale prototype called Zero (Zero-emissions Electric Vertical Aircraft) with the ultimate goal to create a full sized production aircraft to provide alternative options to people for their daily commute. Zeva has enlisted engineers from around the world to help build their eVTOL aircraft. According to one August 2022 article, the company has raised around $700,000.00 USD to date. The company is actively looking for additional investors to raise $15 million USD to continue research, create flying prototypes, validate technology and sell their aircraft.

Zeva Aero is focused on three ideas: vertical, accessible and sustainable. The company's vision is that vertical flight will open general aviation to many more people. ZEVA Aero's aircraft are designed to be personal and affordable. The company has stated they are not building air taxis that will cost $10 million USD, their aircraft will cost less. Zeva Aero's aircraft will:

• Be practical and extremely useful aircraft
• Have superior range using hybrid-electric technology
• Have dual operating modes (flown manually or by remote control)
• Be able to takeoff and land vertically and conventionally
• Use proven eVTOL technology

Zero passenger eVTOL prototype aircraft
The ZERO is a one passenger eVTOL aircraft that transitions from hover mode, to forward flight mode and cruises comfortably at 160 mph (258 km/h). The aircraft can be manually flown or flown by remote control. In the future, the company plans for the aircraft have an autonomous option. The range of the aircraft is 50 miles (80 km) and its maximum payload weight is 220 lb (100 kg).

The company says that ZERO blends the best features of a multicopter with a streamlined wing for improved range and efficiency. The aircraft's dimensions are 8.5 ft x 8.5 ft x 8.5 ft (2.59 m x 2.59 x 2.59 m) and fits in a parking space. The power source for the aircraft is batteries. The eVTOL aircraft has the look of a flying saucer.

Zero has been designed to be compact so that two can fit in a single car bay. As additional vehicles in a city with skyscrapers will be difficult to park or land, they have created the idea of adding a dock to the side of skyscrapers, called a SkyDock, to allow ease of landing and taking off in any city.

The company has flown a ⅙ subscale prototype and are pleased with its ability to fly on its test flights. Zero has eight engines powered by batteries. Zeva plans to use lasers to find an appropriate parking spot and can also warn pedestrians that it's landing. The target sales price is $140,000.00 USD.

SkyDock is ZEVA’s patent-pending configuration for docking the ZERO to the side of a building. This is an important feature says Zeva because as eVTOL vehicles and air-taxis might become widespread by 2025 and the horizontal surface area (tops of buildings) will be crowded, busy and/or over capacity. SkyDock will allow passengers to travel from a skyscraper to another skyscraper and land at any floor where the SkyDock is located.

Zeva is also participating in the GoFly competition, and a full scale Zero was present at the GoFly Final Fly Off in February 2020.

The company foresees their aircraft used for personal air travel, first responder missions, search and rescue, police and air cargo. The company's goal is to sell 500 vehicles by 2025 and achieving a total revenue of $125 million (USD) dollars.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Passenger eVTOL prototype aircraft aircraft
• Piloting: 1 pilot (Manually or remotely piloted)
• Cruise speed: 160 mph (258 km/h)
• Range: 50 miles (80 km)
• Maximum payload: 220 lb (100 kg)
• Propellers: 8 propellers
• Electric motors: 8 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite and other material
• Window: Canopy over cockpit
• Landing gear: Retractable landing gear. The aircraft can dock vertically, to a side of a building.
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies in the sub-systems of the aircraft.

Related Aircraft:

• Zeva Aero Argon (concept design)
• Zeva Aero Z2 (concept design)

Company Insights:

• Crunchbase
• Go Fund Me
• Pitchbook
• Start Engine
• Tracxn

Resources:

• Zeva Aero website
• Zeva Aero Facebook
• Zeva Aero Twitter
• Zeva Aero YouTube Channel
• Zeva Aero Instagram
• Zeva Aero LinkedIn
• Article: AHS Supports GoFly!, Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2017
• Article: Team of Tacoma ‘engineers, designers and dreamers’ wants to build you a personal flying saucer, The News Tribune, Aug. 21, 2018
• Video: Tacoma company wants to make personal flying saucer, K5 News, Aug. 27, 2018
• Article: Team Zeva takes on a mission targeting the $2M GoFly Prize … with a flying saucer!, Geek Wire, Jan. 29, 2019
• Article: Zeva builds flying saucer to take aim at GoFly Prize, Cosmic Log, Jan. 29, 2019
• Article: Forget Jet Packs or Flying Cars! Design a Personal Flying Device!, ANSYA Blog, Mar. 1, 2019
• Article: Oshkosh e-AirVenture, Vertiflite, Sep/Oct 2019
• Article: Flying Solo: GoFly Advances Single-Passenger Air Mobility Solutions, Vertiflite, May/June 2019
• Article: GoFly Inspires Innovation, Vertiflite, May/June 2020
• Article: GoFly Teams Prepare to Fly Again, Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2020
• Article: ZEVA Announces Grant Awarded by JCATI, Zeva Aero, Sept. 8, 2021
• Article: Zeva Aero pivots from its flying saucer to an airplane with a vertical-takeoff twist, Geek Wire, Mar. 22, 2023